Nadir takes aim at Mohamed over corruption claim

Jan 27, 2026 News

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…threatens to refer him to committee of privileges

By Rehana Ramsay

(Kaieteur News) – Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has warned newly elected Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed that allegations of corruption made against him could be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for investigation.

The warning came just hours after Mohamed was elected Leader of the Opposition. In his opening remarks to the House on Monday, Nadir said he was disturbed by what he described as “vile comments” made by Mohamed, accusing the Speaker of corruption outside of formal parliamentary proceedings.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir has warned newly elected Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed that accusations of corruption levelled against him is under consideration to be addressed at the Committee of Privileges of the National Assembly.

Nadir noted that while a lot has been said in and out of us being in a formal sitting, there were “vile comments emanating from the duly elected Leader of the Opposition talking about the corruption of the Speaker.”  Nadir asserted: “anyone who wants to criticise the speaker can do so via a motion in the House. And so, while I have thick skin and my 45 years of public life has tempered me well. I am not adverse to acting firmly…And so those comments leveled at me by the leader of the opposition are among the items which can possibly go before a privilege committee.”

As such, he told the House that Members of Parliament (MP)s need to be familiar with three important documents which will help guide and inform their actions inside and outside of the Assembly. “There are three documents that we need to be very familiar with. The constitution of Guyana, the standing orders and the handbook for members of the parliament. While I raised the three of them, I want to draw attention to Article 50 of the Constitution which outlines the supreme organs of state, one of those being the parliament…” Nadir asserted.

The House Speaker had publicly expressed his unease with Mohamed’s election, describing himself as being in a “difficult position” for having to oversee the appointment of a fugitive as the nation’s opposition leader. He nevertheless chaired Monday’s brief proceedings, and ultimately congratulated Mohamed on his victory. Nadir told the House in accordance to Constitution 184, he convened the meeting of non-governmental members of parliament for the election of the Leader of the Opposition. According to him, Mohamed was elected based on 16 WIN MPs and a single vote for the leader of Forward Guyana Movement party, Ms. Amanza Walton Desir. The  Committee of Privileges in Guyana is authorised to investigate any matter or complaint that appears to affect the powers and privileges of the House. Under Standing Order 91, this committee reviews actions of members that may bring the House into disrepute.

Meanwhile, WIN had condemned the speaker’s remarks last week, describing them as improper and politically motivated. The party said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the conduct and remarks of the Speaker of the National Assembly during his recent address to the nation on Tuesday, January 20th 2026, including his disparaging, abusive, defamatory, false, and malicious statements directed at the presumptive leader of the opposition, Mr. Azruddin Mohamed and his open contempt for the international diplomatic community.”

WIN said it was unacceptable that the speaker used a national address to personally attack and prejudge an elected MP and presumptive leader of the opposition. The party argued that Nadir’s remarks demonstrated bias incompatible with the neutrality of the office of the speaker. WIN said, “The speaker is not a prosecutor, a political combatant, or a mouthpiece for the ruling party. His duty is to uphold the constitution, protect the integrity of Parliament, and act impartially. By choosing insults over restraint and propaganda over principle, he has demeaned the National Assembly and further eroded public confidence in its leadership.”

Mohamed and his father, Nazar, are currently challenging an extradition request by the United States Government in the local courts. The businessmen have been indicted in the U.S. on multiple charges, including allegations of orchestrating a fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties allegedly owed to Guyana. The party also criticised comments made by the speaker toward United States Ambassador Nicole Theriot and Canadian High Commissioner Sébastien Sigouin, who were among diplomats commenting on the issue. WIN argued that democratic processes in Guyana should not require diplomatic pressure to function and said the situation reflected poorly on the Speaker’s conduct.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, Committee of Privileges, corruption, Manzoor Nadir, Opposition Leader

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